Just when you thought the controversy of the intimate relationship between the Defense Department, the US Government and Kellog Brown Root couldn’t get any worse, it does.
You remember Halliburton and its offspring KBR? They’re the ones who got billions of dollars worth of no bid contracts from the Bush Administration to perform a variety of tasks for the US government in Iraq and other hot spots around the world.
But let's be fair, they've been getting cherry deals from Uncle Sugar since LBJ was president. Under Bush, they got more and got sloppy.
Last year alone, KBR did $5 billion in government business, $16 billion between 2004 and 2006. They are the largest government contractor.
Their list of misdeeds is long and the impropriety of being awarded no bid contracts is still up for investigation.
But none of their misdeeds is more heinous that their wiring of military base showers.
To date inspector Jim Childs, a master electrician who is inspecting the work for the US Army say the wiring is the worst electrical work they’ve ever seen.
The results of the faulty wiring?
– 18 soldiers dead from electrocution.
- 8,527 of the 30,000 buildings examined so far were so bad they were ordered repaired immediately before being used again.
- almost 15,000 of the buildings failed the electrical inspection
Now the kicker.
The US Government has hired….
Wait for it…….
KBR to clean up its own electrical mess.
Why does our government continue to give taxpayer dollars to this company? Why are they not held accountable for their mistakes?
Most importantly, why is our government allowing a contractor to provide shoddy and unsafe facitilites to our soldiers and paying them for it?
Remember KBR is the lovely company that provided soldiers in Iraq with rotten, spoiled and contaminated food.
KBR charged the US up to $45 a can for soda pop.
KBR billed the US Government (taxpayers) over $100 million for meals it never delivered to troops.
The funny thing, if it were not so asinine, is that the US continues to feed the coffers of KBR with nary a thought to how badly they have screwed soldiers and taxpayers alike.
When asked about the electrical wiring situation in showers and buildings it built and about the over 200 electrocutions and 18 deaths from this shoddy workmanship, KBR said the deaths weren’t their fault.
They built the buildings, they did the wiring. How can these deaths not be their fault?
In the US, any electrician who caused the death of a single person because of shoddy workmanship or general incompetence would be up on charges (no pun intended).
Not KBR. They get more government contracts.
The larger blame goes to the Defense Department, Congress and the other government agencies who continue to do business with this obscene company.
Voters need to be asking their Congressmen and Senators why we continue to let KBR have taxpayer money.
I’m waiting for a good answer from Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation.
I’m prepared for a long wait.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
the Economy Sucks and It's Everyones Fault
Before we get too much more wound up in blaming the likes of AIG, CITI and the other bailout babies, we need to take a very hard look at the two biggest culprits in this whole economic meltdown mess,
That would be you and I, the consumers, and the 535 elected officials of Congress who spend more time posturing and pandering than they do actually working for the people who sent them to DC.
The current economic crisis can be laid squarely at the feet of the American consumer. We are to blame for the sub prime mortgage mess, the credit crunch and all the rest.
Congress, businesses and the various regulatory agencies are merely the enablers of our collective greed.
For some reason known only to God, we have come to be a people of entitlement.
People honestly believe the should be driving a luxury car when their income won’t let them afford it, live in a house way beyond their means, have big screen TV’s in every room, the latest electronic gadgets and generally live a life in the lap of luxury.
Credit card companies, lenders and Congress were only too happy to oblige voters with loans no sane person would make.
The people want 50 year mortgages with the ability to pay interest only for five or ten years? Done.
People with poor, little or no credit deserve credit cards? Lots of banks and lenders stepped up and gave credit freely to those who could ill afford it. Of course, they gouged the consumer with insane interest rates and terms. Didn't matter, consumers maxed their cards and were rewarded with you guessed, a higher credit limit.
Just went bankrupt? No problem. Lots of lenders made it easy to “re-establish” credit while charging an interest rate that many states would refer to as usury (look it up) to do it, raking in more cash for the lender.
When demand went up, the government, starting in the late days of the Clinton Presidency and enhanced by Bush and Company, let oversight agencies bend regulatory rules or simply ignore them. All of the financial alphabet agencies (SEC and all the rest) simply stopped enforcing rules designed to prevent our current economic condition.
So here we are, crushed by the weight of our own egotistical greed.
Now what?
Well Lord knows the Obama Administration is reacting to the problem with the scattergun approach; keep throwing money at the problem and it will go away.
Dear Mr. President: take a deep breath, get your team together and figure out a solution to our problem, then give it to us. We can’t afford a piecemeal approach any longer.
For both parties the problem is the same, absolutely no leadership, no plan to solve the crisis. As always, it’s politics as usual for the Beltway Bunch.
Nancy Pelosi, the occasional Speaker of the House, has shown no leadership, no plan, no anything. For the past two years she’s been grabbing power and perks without doing anything to actually help the country.
C’mon Nancy, how about showing us some real leadership? You have control of the House. Let’s see you do something to solve the problems we have, not make them worse. If nancy can't do it, I suggest the Democrats find a new Speaker - quick.
And let’s not forget our Republican friends. They had six years in total power and helped create this mess. Let's talk about how you deregulated and made sure the oversight agencies went blind rather than take a good look at your Wall Street buddies.
Stop pointing fingers and making accusations. If you’re going to slam the current administration and declare its plan a failure, come to the table with a plan of your own. So far, all we’ve heard is talk, let’s see some action and your plan for economic salvation.
And now my fellow Americans, it’s your turn. You need to get your economic act together.
Here’s my plan for us “little folks” to help restore the economy.
1 – Start putting some money in the bank and in an investment account. We don’t save enough and it’s time we did.
2 – Live within your means. Stop hocking your future to keep up with the Jones’. Scale back your lifestyle until you can actually afford it.
3 – Take a good look at the people you elect for public office. Right now we have a bunch of partisan chuckleheads in office who spend more time on politics than people. We need the opposite. If they’re not working for you, throw them out of office.
4 – Remember this: America has come back from some amazing disasters: the Depression, the War for Southern Independence; two World Wars and a host of other things.
We are the most can-do, inventive, creative people on the planet. We can solve any problem.
We can solve this one.
We just need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, get up off our butts and get to work.
That would be you and I, the consumers, and the 535 elected officials of Congress who spend more time posturing and pandering than they do actually working for the people who sent them to DC.
The current economic crisis can be laid squarely at the feet of the American consumer. We are to blame for the sub prime mortgage mess, the credit crunch and all the rest.
Congress, businesses and the various regulatory agencies are merely the enablers of our collective greed.
For some reason known only to God, we have come to be a people of entitlement.
People honestly believe the should be driving a luxury car when their income won’t let them afford it, live in a house way beyond their means, have big screen TV’s in every room, the latest electronic gadgets and generally live a life in the lap of luxury.
Credit card companies, lenders and Congress were only too happy to oblige voters with loans no sane person would make.
The people want 50 year mortgages with the ability to pay interest only for five or ten years? Done.
People with poor, little or no credit deserve credit cards? Lots of banks and lenders stepped up and gave credit freely to those who could ill afford it. Of course, they gouged the consumer with insane interest rates and terms. Didn't matter, consumers maxed their cards and were rewarded with you guessed, a higher credit limit.
Just went bankrupt? No problem. Lots of lenders made it easy to “re-establish” credit while charging an interest rate that many states would refer to as usury (look it up) to do it, raking in more cash for the lender.
When demand went up, the government, starting in the late days of the Clinton Presidency and enhanced by Bush and Company, let oversight agencies bend regulatory rules or simply ignore them. All of the financial alphabet agencies (SEC and all the rest) simply stopped enforcing rules designed to prevent our current economic condition.
So here we are, crushed by the weight of our own egotistical greed.
Now what?
Well Lord knows the Obama Administration is reacting to the problem with the scattergun approach; keep throwing money at the problem and it will go away.
Dear Mr. President: take a deep breath, get your team together and figure out a solution to our problem, then give it to us. We can’t afford a piecemeal approach any longer.
For both parties the problem is the same, absolutely no leadership, no plan to solve the crisis. As always, it’s politics as usual for the Beltway Bunch.
Nancy Pelosi, the occasional Speaker of the House, has shown no leadership, no plan, no anything. For the past two years she’s been grabbing power and perks without doing anything to actually help the country.
C’mon Nancy, how about showing us some real leadership? You have control of the House. Let’s see you do something to solve the problems we have, not make them worse. If nancy can't do it, I suggest the Democrats find a new Speaker - quick.
And let’s not forget our Republican friends. They had six years in total power and helped create this mess. Let's talk about how you deregulated and made sure the oversight agencies went blind rather than take a good look at your Wall Street buddies.
Stop pointing fingers and making accusations. If you’re going to slam the current administration and declare its plan a failure, come to the table with a plan of your own. So far, all we’ve heard is talk, let’s see some action and your plan for economic salvation.
And now my fellow Americans, it’s your turn. You need to get your economic act together.
Here’s my plan for us “little folks” to help restore the economy.
1 – Start putting some money in the bank and in an investment account. We don’t save enough and it’s time we did.
2 – Live within your means. Stop hocking your future to keep up with the Jones’. Scale back your lifestyle until you can actually afford it.
3 – Take a good look at the people you elect for public office. Right now we have a bunch of partisan chuckleheads in office who spend more time on politics than people. We need the opposite. If they’re not working for you, throw them out of office.
4 – Remember this: America has come back from some amazing disasters: the Depression, the War for Southern Independence; two World Wars and a host of other things.
We are the most can-do, inventive, creative people on the planet. We can solve any problem.
We can solve this one.
We just need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, get up off our butts and get to work.
Friday, March 13, 2009
In Their Era of Demise, Republicans Still Have Time to Change
One thing everyone has to look very closely at right now is the collapse of the Republican Party. Its leadership on Capitol Hill has been silenced thanks to the Rush/Steele fight. Even the Christian Right is fed up with the BS coming from the so called leaders of the party.
Steele, the man who ran for the Senate never mentioning he was a Republican, is the worst sort of namby pamby idealog to head a party. It’s obvious from his constant statement retractions and clarifications that he has no ideology. One minute he’s pro abortion, the next he’s not. He challenges the far right (a good thing) then apologizes. How can Steele possibly lead the Party when he obviously has no platform, no firm political stand on any issue?
He can’t.
In spite of their Stim Package protestations, most Repubs couldn't wait to feed at the Stim trough - including every member of the Oklahoma Delegation except Coburn (who never brings home the bacon - not even a Little Smokie).
The party has no direction. It has no voice because the Evangelical and the Far Right wings of the party have shouted down the more moderate (sane) elements - people who want to be Republicans because they believe in the basics of the party - less government, fewer taxes; less government. These people have been driven away by the strident, overbearing tactics of Rush, the Evangelicals, the Far Right and the people who still demand that Reaganism be viable in the 21st Century (which it's not)
Republicans are famous for imposing a 100 point test to potential members - and if you don't answer all questions correctly (anti abortion, anti tax, pro Christian right) you can't be a Republican. Republicans destroy their own at a rate that mimics genocide these days. They're so busy being non-inclusive they are blowing a real opportunity to rebuild the party and re-take control of the government.
Those who seek something in between Rush on the Right and Nancy on the Left have been effectively neutralized (or so disgusted they re-register as Libertarians). They have no place to go so they float in the Diaspora of the Middle - not liberal enough to be Democrats, not correct thinking enough to be Republicans.
Republicans are missing an incredible opportunity to reinvent themselves, recast their essential doctrine in 21st Century terms, reach out to the less fanatical of the voting public and work, not for 2010, but for 2012.
It is essential to get some new blood in leadership because the current republican leaders couldn't find their way out of Mitch Park in the daylight.
In order to be the party of 2012 Republicans need to say goodbye to Rush and the Radicals (sounds like a 60's band), bring in the moderates and for God's sake, bring in some new, real leadership that is not wedded to the 20th Century (or earlier). McConnell, Boehner, Steele and their ilk need to be shown the door. Their leadership and commentary has mortally wounded the Republican Party. They serve no useful purpose except to divide and confuse.
Division is no longer a viable political party tactic.
It's time for the Repubs to reinvent themselves, re-dedicate themselves to a set of political, social and moral principles that include rather than exclude.
If not, they will die like all other third parties.
Steele, the man who ran for the Senate never mentioning he was a Republican, is the worst sort of namby pamby idealog to head a party. It’s obvious from his constant statement retractions and clarifications that he has no ideology. One minute he’s pro abortion, the next he’s not. He challenges the far right (a good thing) then apologizes. How can Steele possibly lead the Party when he obviously has no platform, no firm political stand on any issue?
He can’t.
In spite of their Stim Package protestations, most Repubs couldn't wait to feed at the Stim trough - including every member of the Oklahoma Delegation except Coburn (who never brings home the bacon - not even a Little Smokie).
The party has no direction. It has no voice because the Evangelical and the Far Right wings of the party have shouted down the more moderate (sane) elements - people who want to be Republicans because they believe in the basics of the party - less government, fewer taxes; less government. These people have been driven away by the strident, overbearing tactics of Rush, the Evangelicals, the Far Right and the people who still demand that Reaganism be viable in the 21st Century (which it's not)
Republicans are famous for imposing a 100 point test to potential members - and if you don't answer all questions correctly (anti abortion, anti tax, pro Christian right) you can't be a Republican. Republicans destroy their own at a rate that mimics genocide these days. They're so busy being non-inclusive they are blowing a real opportunity to rebuild the party and re-take control of the government.
Those who seek something in between Rush on the Right and Nancy on the Left have been effectively neutralized (or so disgusted they re-register as Libertarians). They have no place to go so they float in the Diaspora of the Middle - not liberal enough to be Democrats, not correct thinking enough to be Republicans.
Republicans are missing an incredible opportunity to reinvent themselves, recast their essential doctrine in 21st Century terms, reach out to the less fanatical of the voting public and work, not for 2010, but for 2012.
It is essential to get some new blood in leadership because the current republican leaders couldn't find their way out of Mitch Park in the daylight.
In order to be the party of 2012 Republicans need to say goodbye to Rush and the Radicals (sounds like a 60's band), bring in the moderates and for God's sake, bring in some new, real leadership that is not wedded to the 20th Century (or earlier). McConnell, Boehner, Steele and their ilk need to be shown the door. Their leadership and commentary has mortally wounded the Republican Party. They serve no useful purpose except to divide and confuse.
Division is no longer a viable political party tactic.
It's time for the Repubs to reinvent themselves, re-dedicate themselves to a set of political, social and moral principles that include rather than exclude.
If not, they will die like all other third parties.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
One Million Dead in 50 Years. A culture Destroyed. What’s New in the World?
One Million Dead in 50 Years. A Culture Destroyed. What’s New in the World?
It may be considered slow by genocide standards, on comparison perhaps with the attempted genocide of Native Americans in the United States.
50 years ago today, China began its genocide against Tibet. Since 1959, over one million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese Army. Equally appalling, the Chinese government has systematically worked to destroy all aspects of Tibetan life and religion.
It won’t be long before the entire Tibetan culture and race are gone. A peaceful people totally dedicated to their religion wiped off the face of the earth. Lost forever while the world offers a blind eye to this genocide.
Again.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been in exile since that time, pleading for the governments of the world to intervene. His pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Recently, most of these countries can’t hear the pleas for mercy because of the ringing of cash registers due to trade with an ever growing Chinese economy. We overlook the genocide in favor of the almighty dollar.
After all, the US has to think about what’s most important and today, that’s money. China holds most of our debt paper, buys our products and supplies us with merchandise for resale. Why screw up a potential economic windfall with something so inconsequential as genocide?
It’s not like the United States has much of a record caring about this moral issue.
Shortly after the United Nations came into being, its members passed the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes of Genocide (September 1948). To its everlasting shame, it took the United States 40 years to finally ratify this Convention.
In 1998 120 countries set up the International Criminal Court to investigate and try individuals accused of war crimes and genocide. The US voted against the court.
It’s been more than 50 years since the world came to grips with its latest and most blatant genocide, the Holocaust. The nations of the world agreed that genocide is a crime against humanity and must be punished.
The world collectively vowed that genocide would never happen again.
For decades, investigators combed the world looking for Nazi perpetrators of the genocide of Jews. Those found were punished.
The Holocaust Museum and The Elie Wielsel Foundation for Humanity were created to expose the evil of genocide. And while these two organizations continue to demonstrate the horrors of the Nazi genocide against Jews and other minorities, they do little with present day genocide.
“The Holocaust might serve a powerful purpose if it led us to think of the world today as wartime Germany--where millions die while the rest of the population obediently goes about its business. It is a frightening thought that the Nazis, in defeat, were victorious: today Germany, tomorrow the world, That is, until we withdraw our obedience.”
-Howard Zinn, The Progressive.
For Tibet, we’d rather listen to the cash register ring. It drowns out the cries of another people being wiped off the face of the earth.
The Nazi mindset on cultural and racial extermination has won. Here in the 21st Century we have acts of genocide being committed across the globe yet we sit on our collective rear ends and do nothing. The evidence is everywhere, brought into your living room by satellite television and the Internet.
Yet the gore and bestiality of today’s genocide has no more effect on most people than the latest blood and guts TV show, movie or video game you allow into your home under the guise of entertainment. No wonder we don’t care. We’re numb from the constant barrage of man’s inhumanity to man.
Today we look away as genocide is committed under our very eye. Where? Here’s a partial list of places where genocide is actively taking place:
Darfur
Rwanda
Sri Lanka
Somalia
East Timor
Bosnia
Sudan
Congo
Ethiopia
Tibet
And let’s not forget some genocides of the past we ignored:
Native Americans
Armenia
Cambodia
Soviet Union
Iraqi Kurds
What the hell is wrong with us? What has happened that we as the human race care so little about our fellow man that we allow these beasts to continue their attempts to wipe out tribes or religions or races?
We learned nothing from the Holocaust. We give it lip service and jump up to condemn it whenever possible. We see the plight of Darfur in living color, shake our heads in disbelief and then ignore the problem.
The truth is we just don’t care.
Shame on us.
It may be considered slow by genocide standards, on comparison perhaps with the attempted genocide of Native Americans in the United States.
50 years ago today, China began its genocide against Tibet. Since 1959, over one million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese Army. Equally appalling, the Chinese government has systematically worked to destroy all aspects of Tibetan life and religion.
It won’t be long before the entire Tibetan culture and race are gone. A peaceful people totally dedicated to their religion wiped off the face of the earth. Lost forever while the world offers a blind eye to this genocide.
Again.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been in exile since that time, pleading for the governments of the world to intervene. His pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Recently, most of these countries can’t hear the pleas for mercy because of the ringing of cash registers due to trade with an ever growing Chinese economy. We overlook the genocide in favor of the almighty dollar.
After all, the US has to think about what’s most important and today, that’s money. China holds most of our debt paper, buys our products and supplies us with merchandise for resale. Why screw up a potential economic windfall with something so inconsequential as genocide?
It’s not like the United States has much of a record caring about this moral issue.
Shortly after the United Nations came into being, its members passed the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes of Genocide (September 1948). To its everlasting shame, it took the United States 40 years to finally ratify this Convention.
In 1998 120 countries set up the International Criminal Court to investigate and try individuals accused of war crimes and genocide. The US voted against the court.
It’s been more than 50 years since the world came to grips with its latest and most blatant genocide, the Holocaust. The nations of the world agreed that genocide is a crime against humanity and must be punished.
The world collectively vowed that genocide would never happen again.
For decades, investigators combed the world looking for Nazi perpetrators of the genocide of Jews. Those found were punished.
The Holocaust Museum and The Elie Wielsel Foundation for Humanity were created to expose the evil of genocide. And while these two organizations continue to demonstrate the horrors of the Nazi genocide against Jews and other minorities, they do little with present day genocide.
“The Holocaust might serve a powerful purpose if it led us to think of the world today as wartime Germany--where millions die while the rest of the population obediently goes about its business. It is a frightening thought that the Nazis, in defeat, were victorious: today Germany, tomorrow the world, That is, until we withdraw our obedience.”
-Howard Zinn, The Progressive.
For Tibet, we’d rather listen to the cash register ring. It drowns out the cries of another people being wiped off the face of the earth.
The Nazi mindset on cultural and racial extermination has won. Here in the 21st Century we have acts of genocide being committed across the globe yet we sit on our collective rear ends and do nothing. The evidence is everywhere, brought into your living room by satellite television and the Internet.
Yet the gore and bestiality of today’s genocide has no more effect on most people than the latest blood and guts TV show, movie or video game you allow into your home under the guise of entertainment. No wonder we don’t care. We’re numb from the constant barrage of man’s inhumanity to man.
Today we look away as genocide is committed under our very eye. Where? Here’s a partial list of places where genocide is actively taking place:
Darfur
Rwanda
Sri Lanka
Somalia
East Timor
Bosnia
Sudan
Congo
Ethiopia
Tibet
And let’s not forget some genocides of the past we ignored:
Native Americans
Armenia
Cambodia
Soviet Union
Iraqi Kurds
What the hell is wrong with us? What has happened that we as the human race care so little about our fellow man that we allow these beasts to continue their attempts to wipe out tribes or religions or races?
We learned nothing from the Holocaust. We give it lip service and jump up to condemn it whenever possible. We see the plight of Darfur in living color, shake our heads in disbelief and then ignore the problem.
The truth is we just don’t care.
Shame on us.
Stemming the Tide – A New Weapon Comes Out of the Deep Freeze
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that advances in medical treatment have dramatically improved the quality of life around the world. My mother died from the effects of breast cancer in 1971. Today she most likely would have survived thanks to new treatments and medical procedures.
Medical research is an incredible thing.
Now President Obama has given researchers another tool to help combat the ravages of Parkinson’s and a host of other diseases and injuries.
Embryonic stem cells may live up to all their hype but at least scientists will have the opportunity to use these unwanted stem cells to do what doctors and medical researchers have done for centuries, try to improve our health.
For some, the use of embryonic stem cells is a morally reprehensible. I respect their religious beliefs and would never ask them to use a treatment that might come from this new research.
However, there are a great may of us who don’t share their particular religious belief. What we do know is that it’s better to give scientists the opportunity to see if these cells will yield some relief and cures than to let these same cells sit forever in some deep freeze or be flushed down the sewer when the owners no longer want them.
There are other types of research being done on other types of stem cells. Many hold promise to those who suffer from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s and other crippling diseases. That research will continue and hopefully find cures to these ugly conditions.
President Bush made a mistake in hamstringing scientists by not allowing embryonic stem cell research. President Obama has corrected his error. His statement on signing the decision was simple and to the point, especially to people with deeply felt religious convictions.
"As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering,"
Amen.
There will be the usual hysteria from certain segments. Claims of human cloning and women selling their embryos are just around the corner and will feed the airways of conservative talk radio. Some religious leaders will liken this policy to Hitler or call it humans acting as God or manipulating nature.
They have a right to their opinion. They have a right to not use the cures that may come from President Obama's decision. That is their choice.
I just don’t want them to force their religious views on me.
We won’t know for a few years whether these particular stem cells will unlock the cures researchers seek.
But, we can hope and pray they will. Hope and pray for the victims of these insidious conditions and hope and pray for the families of those patients.
It’s too late to see Christopher Reeves walk again or Ronald Reagan regain his memory.
Hopefully it’s not too late to see Michael J. Fox return to acting or Stephen Hawking be released from his withered, wasted body to contribute even more to our world.
President Obama has given millions hope for a cure. In today’s world climate, hope is a very good thing to have.
Medical research is an incredible thing.
Now President Obama has given researchers another tool to help combat the ravages of Parkinson’s and a host of other diseases and injuries.
Embryonic stem cells may live up to all their hype but at least scientists will have the opportunity to use these unwanted stem cells to do what doctors and medical researchers have done for centuries, try to improve our health.
For some, the use of embryonic stem cells is a morally reprehensible. I respect their religious beliefs and would never ask them to use a treatment that might come from this new research.
However, there are a great may of us who don’t share their particular religious belief. What we do know is that it’s better to give scientists the opportunity to see if these cells will yield some relief and cures than to let these same cells sit forever in some deep freeze or be flushed down the sewer when the owners no longer want them.
There are other types of research being done on other types of stem cells. Many hold promise to those who suffer from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s and other crippling diseases. That research will continue and hopefully find cures to these ugly conditions.
President Bush made a mistake in hamstringing scientists by not allowing embryonic stem cell research. President Obama has corrected his error. His statement on signing the decision was simple and to the point, especially to people with deeply felt religious convictions.
"As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering,"
Amen.
There will be the usual hysteria from certain segments. Claims of human cloning and women selling their embryos are just around the corner and will feed the airways of conservative talk radio. Some religious leaders will liken this policy to Hitler or call it humans acting as God or manipulating nature.
They have a right to their opinion. They have a right to not use the cures that may come from President Obama's decision. That is their choice.
I just don’t want them to force their religious views on me.
We won’t know for a few years whether these particular stem cells will unlock the cures researchers seek.
But, we can hope and pray they will. Hope and pray for the victims of these insidious conditions and hope and pray for the families of those patients.
It’s too late to see Christopher Reeves walk again or Ronald Reagan regain his memory.
Hopefully it’s not too late to see Michael J. Fox return to acting or Stephen Hawking be released from his withered, wasted body to contribute even more to our world.
President Obama has given millions hope for a cure. In today’s world climate, hope is a very good thing to have.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Throwing Good Money After Bad.
Gimme, Gimmie, Gimmie. That’s the cry of big business these days.
Once they convinced us they were all powerful, benevolent super companies doing good for the American people by providing jobs, credit and opportunity.
The AIG’s, GM’s and CITIs of the world took a page from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizzard of Oz” and, as markets and business practices started to unravel, kept telling us not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
Boy did they do a snow job on us!
Now that these mega business giants are broker than broke, they want all our money – even money we don’t have.
“Please, please, please” they cry. We’ll be good, just bail us out (and don’t pay attention to the retreats, office furniture and other luxuries we buy with your cash). Oh, and don’t forget you can’t ask us to account for what we do with your money.
Enough is enough. It’s time to stop rewarding bad behavior and bad business practices.
GM has known for years it was making an inferior product and using a business model hopelessly outdated. Why reward them? If they can’t compete, they need to fail like every other company that can’t compete.
It’s time to fix our economic problems and I can assure you, GM, AIG, et al don’t have your best interests at heart. They just want the cash.
Why aren’t we helping all the companies large and small who are still in business creating products and jobs? If they’re weathering this storm, they must now how to run a business.
It’s time to stop rewarding the screw-ups and start reward all these companies that do it right. They are much more deserving of Federal money than any of the Wall Street disasters we keep seeing whine and cry on our TV sets during the nightly news.
If a business can survive the current economic climate, let’s give it money to keep going, to expand and create more jobs. These companies are more deserving of our support than the Wall Street Whiners. The successful will drive this economic recovery.
It is also time for America to get off its collective duff and work together to fix the economy - stop complaining, stop asking for more money, get back to economic fundamentals and drive the economy like we used to. That means stop being afraid of the recession and start working to dig out and move forward.
It’s time we stopped whining and feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s time we stopped listening to the talking head nabobs of negativism on TV (most of whom aren’t economists, just talking heads). This is like World War II, get in the march to victory or get out of the way and shut up. The time for negativism and lack of cooperation is over.
This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans; liberals or conservatives. It’s not about political or business philosophy. This is the time for us to do whatever it takes to get our country and its economy back on track.
America is the greatest country in the world. We have almost everything it takes to be great again.
All we need is the faith to step our and reclaim our destiny.
Once they convinced us they were all powerful, benevolent super companies doing good for the American people by providing jobs, credit and opportunity.
The AIG’s, GM’s and CITIs of the world took a page from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizzard of Oz” and, as markets and business practices started to unravel, kept telling us not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
Boy did they do a snow job on us!
Now that these mega business giants are broker than broke, they want all our money – even money we don’t have.
“Please, please, please” they cry. We’ll be good, just bail us out (and don’t pay attention to the retreats, office furniture and other luxuries we buy with your cash). Oh, and don’t forget you can’t ask us to account for what we do with your money.
Enough is enough. It’s time to stop rewarding bad behavior and bad business practices.
GM has known for years it was making an inferior product and using a business model hopelessly outdated. Why reward them? If they can’t compete, they need to fail like every other company that can’t compete.
It’s time to fix our economic problems and I can assure you, GM, AIG, et al don’t have your best interests at heart. They just want the cash.
Why aren’t we helping all the companies large and small who are still in business creating products and jobs? If they’re weathering this storm, they must now how to run a business.
It’s time to stop rewarding the screw-ups and start reward all these companies that do it right. They are much more deserving of Federal money than any of the Wall Street disasters we keep seeing whine and cry on our TV sets during the nightly news.
If a business can survive the current economic climate, let’s give it money to keep going, to expand and create more jobs. These companies are more deserving of our support than the Wall Street Whiners. The successful will drive this economic recovery.
It is also time for America to get off its collective duff and work together to fix the economy - stop complaining, stop asking for more money, get back to economic fundamentals and drive the economy like we used to. That means stop being afraid of the recession and start working to dig out and move forward.
It’s time we stopped whining and feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s time we stopped listening to the talking head nabobs of negativism on TV (most of whom aren’t economists, just talking heads). This is like World War II, get in the march to victory or get out of the way and shut up. The time for negativism and lack of cooperation is over.
This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans; liberals or conservatives. It’s not about political or business philosophy. This is the time for us to do whatever it takes to get our country and its economy back on track.
America is the greatest country in the world. We have almost everything it takes to be great again.
All we need is the faith to step our and reclaim our destiny.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Rush-ing to Failure
Like him or not, Limbaugh is filling a void in the Republican Party. The Conservative Right - the 10 to 12 million who always vote - are hungry for new leadership, leadership that sticks to their very conservative, Bill Buckley, Ronald Reagan, James Dobson, Pat Robertson point of view.
This group does not believe in inclusion - it's their way or the highway. In Oklahoma you can see this in the face of such longtime Repubs as Charlie Meadows, Cheryl Williams and the rest of the true believers. They have a 100 point test to determine if you are a real Republican. If you don't get a perfect score - out you go.
These people are so hungry for a leader who will take their stand publically, they're flocking to Rush the Entertainer. He speaks their language, promotes their values and makes them more afraid of anyone who doesn't believe like they do.
Rush is a fear monger, a name caller and an outright liar.
The rest of the Republican Party is running hard to get away from these people. Sadly, they have no place to go because the radicals have the cash and have the airways.
This is very reminiscent of the Democratic Party of the early 70's (tree huggers, peaceniks, and radical liberals like Pelosi). The radicals took enough control to change the very image of the party. They made liberal a dirty word and paved the way for Republicans to spend a lot of time in control.
Now we've turned a corner and we have the head of the Republican Party to thank. By apologizing to Rush, he's opened the door for Rush and the gang to hijack the party and get control - forcing the rest of the Republicans to find another party to represent them because they can't stomach the rantings and ravings of the far right.
Best of all, Rush has played right into the hands of the White House. They will pull out every quote, every stupid hateful thing Rush has ever said and use it against him. with Rush's approval rating at 38%, it will be a struggle but he will be taken down just like Father Coughlin was in the 30's, like McCarthy, like Joe Pine, like so many others who are more filled with their own hubris and hate than anything else.
These people do spread hate. They’re not interested in another point of view. If you aren't a true believer, they will try to destroy you. Rush wants you to be afraid because it brings him fame and money. It gives him the power he cannot get on his own. Rush found a niche and is exploiting it. Hitler did the same thing. Yes, i do compare Rush to Hitler - their tactics are strikingly similar.
The rest of the fringe commentator element; Hannity, Ingram, Malkin, Coulter and the rest will be willing accomplices’, whipping the conservative base into a revival frenzy against the rest of the US. They will cover the country like evangelists, preaching to the choir, taking their money, making them fear the opposition and giving them false hope that they can somehow regain "their country" - for it's not yours or mine, it's only the country of the true believers. They will rally, take up arms (as Hannity wants them to do) and try to force their way of life on the rest of us with renewed vigor and purpose.
And they will fail. Fail because America isn't about one group's opinion, it's about a collective opinion that articulates a position that is best for the country. Whether it's economics, social policy, military policy or whether to stop the insane embargo against Cuba (because it's worked so well), America's policies should always be what's best for all. Perhaps that's new trade policies, bailouts, realignments with other countries, new public education systems... it doesn't matter. It has to be what's best for America as a whole.
Rush and his gang want America to be about them, to force the rest to submit to their way of thinking.
It's a philosophy that will fail, fail because the world has changed since the 50's. Reagan and Buckley are dead. Their era is gone. The world is a new place. 21st Century America will have to adapt to the changing world. Isolationism is over. The Old World Order is over.
Soon enough Rush and his gang will learn the awful truth, most of us, Republicans and Democrats, don't want to be like them.
He will be tossed to the side just like so many other radicals have been through the years.
The rest of us will clean up his mess and continue to move our country forward, remembering that we are:
Of the People
By the People
And most importantly
For the People.
We are not and never have been a country of the few, by the few and for the few. It's a lesson Rush will learn the hard way.
This group does not believe in inclusion - it's their way or the highway. In Oklahoma you can see this in the face of such longtime Repubs as Charlie Meadows, Cheryl Williams and the rest of the true believers. They have a 100 point test to determine if you are a real Republican. If you don't get a perfect score - out you go.
These people are so hungry for a leader who will take their stand publically, they're flocking to Rush the Entertainer. He speaks their language, promotes their values and makes them more afraid of anyone who doesn't believe like they do.
Rush is a fear monger, a name caller and an outright liar.
The rest of the Republican Party is running hard to get away from these people. Sadly, they have no place to go because the radicals have the cash and have the airways.
This is very reminiscent of the Democratic Party of the early 70's (tree huggers, peaceniks, and radical liberals like Pelosi). The radicals took enough control to change the very image of the party. They made liberal a dirty word and paved the way for Republicans to spend a lot of time in control.
Now we've turned a corner and we have the head of the Republican Party to thank. By apologizing to Rush, he's opened the door for Rush and the gang to hijack the party and get control - forcing the rest of the Republicans to find another party to represent them because they can't stomach the rantings and ravings of the far right.
Best of all, Rush has played right into the hands of the White House. They will pull out every quote, every stupid hateful thing Rush has ever said and use it against him. with Rush's approval rating at 38%, it will be a struggle but he will be taken down just like Father Coughlin was in the 30's, like McCarthy, like Joe Pine, like so many others who are more filled with their own hubris and hate than anything else.
These people do spread hate. They’re not interested in another point of view. If you aren't a true believer, they will try to destroy you. Rush wants you to be afraid because it brings him fame and money. It gives him the power he cannot get on his own. Rush found a niche and is exploiting it. Hitler did the same thing. Yes, i do compare Rush to Hitler - their tactics are strikingly similar.
The rest of the fringe commentator element; Hannity, Ingram, Malkin, Coulter and the rest will be willing accomplices’, whipping the conservative base into a revival frenzy against the rest of the US. They will cover the country like evangelists, preaching to the choir, taking their money, making them fear the opposition and giving them false hope that they can somehow regain "their country" - for it's not yours or mine, it's only the country of the true believers. They will rally, take up arms (as Hannity wants them to do) and try to force their way of life on the rest of us with renewed vigor and purpose.
And they will fail. Fail because America isn't about one group's opinion, it's about a collective opinion that articulates a position that is best for the country. Whether it's economics, social policy, military policy or whether to stop the insane embargo against Cuba (because it's worked so well), America's policies should always be what's best for all. Perhaps that's new trade policies, bailouts, realignments with other countries, new public education systems... it doesn't matter. It has to be what's best for America as a whole.
Rush and his gang want America to be about them, to force the rest to submit to their way of thinking.
It's a philosophy that will fail, fail because the world has changed since the 50's. Reagan and Buckley are dead. Their era is gone. The world is a new place. 21st Century America will have to adapt to the changing world. Isolationism is over. The Old World Order is over.
Soon enough Rush and his gang will learn the awful truth, most of us, Republicans and Democrats, don't want to be like them.
He will be tossed to the side just like so many other radicals have been through the years.
The rest of us will clean up his mess and continue to move our country forward, remembering that we are:
Of the People
By the People
And most importantly
For the People.
We are not and never have been a country of the few, by the few and for the few. It's a lesson Rush will learn the hard way.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Inmates are surely running the Republican Asylum
One only has to listen or read the vitriolic, mean spirited and downright lies foisted on a leaderless Republican Party by people like Rush, Sean and the rest of the nattering nabobs of negativism to understand just how desperate the party is for leadership.
So where are the real leaders of the Republican Party?
I can’t believe that that Republicans have decided the likes of Hannity and Coulter speak for them. What amazes me more is that if Democrats were to say any of the following statements, the outrage from these same “commentators” would be blasting from every radio and TV in the US.
Limbaugh: "The dirty little secret ... is that every Republican in this country wants Obama to fail, but none of them have the guts to say so; I am willing to say it"
Limbaugh: "I want the stimulus package to fail," "I want everything he's doing to fail."
Limbaugh - "We are being told that we have to hope he succeeds, that we have to bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever, because his father was black, because this is the first black president."
When Sean Hannity was challenged on his own TV show to point out exactly where the “Save the Marsh Mouse” money was, his response was to say the Democrats had hidden it so no one could find exactly where the money was coming from. He said the same thing about the levitating train to nowhere.
It’s one thing to have a viewpoint. It’s another thing to outright lie. The lies, the misstatements, the name calling are used for only one purpose, to scare average Americans.
Hannity, Rush and the rest only care about ratings and money. They have no plans, no suggestions and no remedies for our country’s current situation. They just want to scream about how the other side is sending the US down the road to Socialism (we’re already there) or worse.
It’s easy to criticize. I’m waiting for these talking heads to actually put some suggestions on the table to solve our country’s problems.
Until they do, they are the problem. They are as much a danger to the US as any foreign terrorist. Truth be told, they are terrorists, airwave terrorists, spreading their lies, deceit and fear around the country.
There’s nothing wrong with healthy dissent – although Limbaugh and Hannity considered any disagreement with the Bush Administration tantamount to treason.
It’s time they go away. We don’t need their brand of negative politics right now.
We need sound rational thought and ideas to bring our country out of this mess and once again become a world leader.
So where are the real leaders of the Republican Party?
I can’t believe that that Republicans have decided the likes of Hannity and Coulter speak for them. What amazes me more is that if Democrats were to say any of the following statements, the outrage from these same “commentators” would be blasting from every radio and TV in the US.
Limbaugh: "The dirty little secret ... is that every Republican in this country wants Obama to fail, but none of them have the guts to say so; I am willing to say it"
Limbaugh: "I want the stimulus package to fail," "I want everything he's doing to fail."
Limbaugh - "We are being told that we have to hope he succeeds, that we have to bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever, because his father was black, because this is the first black president."
When Sean Hannity was challenged on his own TV show to point out exactly where the “Save the Marsh Mouse” money was, his response was to say the Democrats had hidden it so no one could find exactly where the money was coming from. He said the same thing about the levitating train to nowhere.
It’s one thing to have a viewpoint. It’s another thing to outright lie. The lies, the misstatements, the name calling are used for only one purpose, to scare average Americans.
Hannity, Rush and the rest only care about ratings and money. They have no plans, no suggestions and no remedies for our country’s current situation. They just want to scream about how the other side is sending the US down the road to Socialism (we’re already there) or worse.
It’s easy to criticize. I’m waiting for these talking heads to actually put some suggestions on the table to solve our country’s problems.
Until they do, they are the problem. They are as much a danger to the US as any foreign terrorist. Truth be told, they are terrorists, airwave terrorists, spreading their lies, deceit and fear around the country.
There’s nothing wrong with healthy dissent – although Limbaugh and Hannity considered any disagreement with the Bush Administration tantamount to treason.
It’s time they go away. We don’t need their brand of negative politics right now.
We need sound rational thought and ideas to bring our country out of this mess and once again become a world leader.
Kind thoughts and words
Loving Kindness Meditation
May all beings be happy and peaceful
free from suffering and distress
May all beings be safe and secure
free from fear and harm
May all beings be healthy and prosperous
free from pain, illness, and lack of necessities
May all beings live joyfully and with ease
free from struggle and conflict
May all beings be happy and peaceful
free from suffering and distress
May all beings be safe and secure
free from fear and harm
May all beings be healthy and prosperous
free from pain, illness, and lack of necessities
May all beings live joyfully and with ease
free from struggle and conflict
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